when the last time you rode your non emtb?

dfkenevo

Active member
Aug 13, 2018
69
162
Truckee, Ca
I rode my Ibis Ripmo AF yesterday and I will ride it again today. No matter how much I love my Levo Expert I still like acoustic bikes!! Riding 5/6 days a week give me the chance toI ride both, even though if I had to choose one I would stick with the Levo, no doubt!
 

Fingerpuk

Member
Apr 8, 2020
250
197
Kent
Ride mine twice a week. I'm at a point now with the bike that I can do 40 miles and not sweat. That's all off-road. It makes me think I could sell it and go back to a normal bike with better components.
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,088
Andalucía
Apart from on the hills I sit well above the motor cut off point. With less weight and drag, I think I’d be much faster on a normal bike. Apart from the hills.

Not sure what to do really.

Ride further and find more hills?

I do understand entirely what you mean. On all the level bits around here I'm always above the motor cut-off level and I don't really need the motor. It's the hills that kill me. To get home I have the last 2km at 10% average. All the bits between the flat areas are a 200m climb, mostly averaging 10%, which seems to be the design standard for the original donkey/mule tracks. I still enjoy taking the non-E bike out for a spin once a week... just until I get to that last climb home when I'm out of steam.

@MrBrownstone I don't understand the point about the 15mph cut-off. I regularly go out on club runs where most of the riders are not battery powered. I have no problem keeping up with them on the EMTB. If I wanted to tear-arse around the countryside at speeds higher than I can manage on a pushbike then I'd buy myself a dirt bike - it's a damn sight cheaper. The point for me is not maximum speed, it's exercise and enjoying the countryside. If it was just the latter, then I'd get that dirt bike.
 

Yoak

Active member
Apr 5, 2020
254
171
Norway
Today. Brought the analog bike along for the summer holiday to keep the legs going and ride with my brother. Tempted as I was to bring the Rail.
Then my brother arrives with his family and no bike?
Didn’t get the bike rack in time for the holiday due to delayed shipping
 

Doug Stampfer

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2018
736
752
NZ
Oh My God. Went out on the analogue bike yesterday & thought "It's got a flat tyre"- checked it- no. "Oh well then the brakes must be stuck on
'.... no! Argggh the hills, my leeeegggs....
Whose stupid idea was it to make a mtb without a motor????!!!!
 

lmartins

Active member
Sep 19, 2018
103
124
Portugal
Bought a Santa Cruz 5010 2 months after my first ebike thinking it would force me not to loose touch with the acoustic world. You’ve guessed it, sold that bike in mint condition.

I’ve just bought a Levo SL which I hope will bridge the gap between a full ebike and an acoustic. If anything, I’d say ebikes spoiled conventional ones for me.
 

lmartins

Active member
Sep 19, 2018
103
124
Portugal
Oh My God. Went out on the analogue bike yesterday & thought "It's got a flat tyre"- checked it- no. "Oh well then the brakes must be stuck on
'.... no! Argggh the hills, my leeeegggs....
Whose stupid idea was it to make a mtb without a motor????!!!!

ahaha can relate so much! Is the brake on? What’s going on?! Once you get used to the pull of an ebike I suspect very few of us can truly enjoy a regular bike.
 

Supratad

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2019
392
305
North Yorkshire, UK
Having done a minor bit of work on it yesterday, I pedalled my San An round the block yesterday.
Unassisted riding is haaaard work and maybe I’m not as fit as I felt l was. Considering I used to think that the San An was a weighty bike, it felt super light by comparison.
 

Doug Stampfer

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2018
736
752
NZ
Having done a minor bit of work on it yesterday, I pedalled my San An round the block yesterday.
Unassisted riding is haaaard work and maybe I’m not as fit as I felt l was. Considering I used to think that the San An was a weighty bike, it felt super light by comparison.
Yes they seem so light now. Jeez I nearly launched up into the trees on a couple of jumps. They are so light in comparison. Also the Fox 34s seemed so flimsy - never felt that way before the ebike.
 

miPbiP

E*POWAH Master
Jul 8, 2019
754
805
Surrey Hills.
Saturday, falling back in love with the lung powered world. Yeah they seem so light!

Got a year old Levo - in 2 minds about keeping it. (But probably will).
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,688
the internet
Ahh, mine has Shivers which are waaay better than the RS 35s on my Levo.
As in Marzocchi Shivers from the early 00s?
The RS 35 is pretty basic but at least the wheel tends to face the same direction as the stem in rock gardens or throughout rough corners.

I honestly can't imagine any decent rider enjoying going from a decent modern enduro bike to an old San andreas with shivers.
 

Supratad

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2019
392
305
North Yorkshire, UK
I didn’t say it was a better bike, just that I rode it a bit the other day. The DC shivers are an immense fork and having been recently refurbed, very plush. The San An as a whole though is piggin’ awful to ride. Much like when James May got to drive his bedroom wall icon, the Lamborghini Countach, my San An didn’t live up to my expectations. Looks nice though
 

Yoak

Active member
Apr 5, 2020
254
171
Norway
It always feels nice and playfull when I get back on the analogue bike. Do miss the fun part in going uphill on my ebike though
 

mtbninja

New Member
Jul 13, 2020
31
20
Canberra, Australia
I have a HT and full sus endro (and JD bike). They get ridden more than my eMTB as I only ride it when riding solo or with other eMTB riders. Still making more eMTB friends. I have a lot of riding buddies that all ride acoustic, and I prefer not to ride the eMTB with them partially because while they are impressed with the bike, they wont budge on converting (budget or misguided preconceptions).

I enjoy all my bikes for different reasons. HT is great on longer XC rides, esp on more fire trails or basic trails (though I've ridden it down double black endro trails), the endro is great for racing and jumping and smashing though rough trails and I have less worries over damaging a carbon frame or motor. DJ still serves best on specific jump trails. I love the eMTB and riding it on long rides, up big climbs (because big descents!) and the speed and the fact that I still get as much if not MORE exercise on every ride I take it on.

Let's see how this goes over the next few years and if more others get eMTB's and I make more eMTB friends. Though I do like that my HT has much cheaper drive train parts and is more affordable to keep on top of the maintenance.... Even my endro is still cheaper to keep running than the eMTB with the latest Shimano 12sp drivetrain. So I'll generally pick the bike based on the ride, and riders I'm riding with.
 

Yoak

Active member
Apr 5, 2020
254
171
Norway
Had a Rail 9.8 for a season now, and I think I actually spent a little bit more time on my analogue bike over this summer (Slash 8). I enjoy both a lot, but I don't like to be on an ebike with analogue riders. (I don't mind if I'm on a analogue an one in the group is on ebike though). It's also great fun to be back on a light and playfill bike after a few rides on my ebike
 

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